Hill View Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Hill View Primary School Hill View Road, Ensbury Park, Bournemouth, Dorset BH10 5BD

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Outcome

Hill View Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Victoria Buckland. This school is part of Reach South Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Dean Ashton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Marcus Agius.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils come to school happy and eager to learn. They are determined to uphold the school’s ‘ASCENT’ values, such as community and excellence. Children in the Reception Year get off to a strong start. Parents speak highly of the care and support that their children receive throughout their time in the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils consistently live up to the school’s high expectations for their behaviour. Learning is rarely disrupted and pupils get on well together throughout the school day. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and build their independence. As a result, they are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish taking on responsibilities. Some pupils have roles on the school’s ‘green team’, while others help during assemblies. Reading ambassadors help to curate the library and read with younger pupils. Members of the school council are chosen by their peers. This develops pupils’ understanding of democratic processes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the wide range of extracurricular opportunities on offer. The school plans these carefully to help pupils make good use of them. For example, children in the Reception Year enjoyed their recent visit to a farm, while older pupils spoke excitedly about a rainforest experience. There are many clubs and activities, such as cricket, dance and mindfulness.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils learn an ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, they deepen their knowledge and understanding over time. This is because the school has planned carefully what pupils 14 and 15 May 2024

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should learn and when. For example, pupils build on their knowledge of number from the Reception Year. They go on to solve mathematical problems and apply their understanding in other subjects, such as science. In these subjects, teachers have the expertise they need to implement the curriculum and assess pupils’ learning accurately. As a result, pupils’ errors or misconceptions are quickly rectified.

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However, in a few subjects, the school is still working on identifying the essential knowledge that pupils should learn. Where this is the case, pupils do not always gain such detailed knowledge and understanding. Teaching does not check pupils’ learning as precisely in these subjects. Consequently, pupils sometimes have gaps in their knowledge.

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Pupils are very enthusiastic readers. Older pupils enjoy tackling reading challenges and recommending books to each other. Children start learning to read as soon as they join the Reception Year. The school chooses books that match closely with the sounds that pupils are learning. Any pupil who needs extra help receives timely and effective support. The school has strengthened its early reading curriculum, including how it checks pupils’ reading accuracy. Therefore, the most recent published outcomes in phonics do not reflect the quality of the curriculum now in place.

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The school is ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school involves pupils and parents well in planning and reviewing support. Pupils’ needs are identified and assessed effectively, meaning that suitable teaching and curriculum adaptations are made. Consequently, pupils with SEND successfully develop their knowledge and build their independence.

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Pupils have good attendance. The school takes effective steps to support the minority of pupils whose attendance is a concern. Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They are kind, polite and keen to help each other. In the Reception Year, children sustain their concentration well and start learning how to cooperate. Older pupils collaborate effectively, such as working in teams to learn together.

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Pupils follow a suitable personal, social and health education programme. The school adapts this programme to respond to local and topical issues, such as water safety and helping pupils to protect themselves online. The school places a strong emphasis on pupils’ mental health. Pupils learn how to care for their own well-being and how to talk about their emotions.

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Pupils know how to be active citizens. For instance, they raise money for local and national charities. They learn how they can help vulnerable members of society. The school develops pupils’ understanding of difference and diversity through the books teachers read to them. Pupils have a voice in the school. They feel that adults listen to them, whether they are worried about something or have an idea to make an improvement. This helps them to learn about expressing and discussing their views respectfully.

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Leaders use professional development successfully to enhance the quality of teaching. Recent work to help pupils practise recalling information has had a positive impact on their learning over time, for example. Trustees and local governors perform their roles 14 and 15 May 2024

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effectively. They hold leaders to account, providing suitable challenge and support as required.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school has not identified precisely the knowledge that pupils need to learn. This means that pupils do not gain a depth of understanding in these subjects over time. The trust and school should ensure that they set out the precise knowledge that pupils need to learn, and that teachers have the expertise they need to teach this effectively.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2018.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and 14 and 15 May 2024

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protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 14 and 15 May 2024

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School details

Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Reach South Academy Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 14 and 15 May 2024

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 The inspector met with senior leaders, trust leaders and members of the local governing body.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the responses to the questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to the online surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

James Oldham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 May 2024

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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